The Nushagak River is located in Southwestern Alaska and flows about 242 miles from its headwaters, into Bristol Bay, near Dillingham. The Nushagak River supports one of the largest Chinook salmon runs on planet earth, with runs over 100,000 kings common.  In 2015 it was closer to 150,000 kings.

Nearly all those fish enter the river system in a short 6 week run, making the Nushagak truly the most specular king salmon fishery worldwide.  The Nushagak also hosts runs of chum, sockeye, pink, silver salmon and native populations of rainbow, grayling, char, pike and white fish. The relatively uncrowded river and its abundance of fish is what makes the Nushagak a unique destination for anglers.

 

We guide fishermen for king salmon on the Nushagak River because we truly believe that the Nushagak is the best king fishery in Alaska, if not the world.  Due to the nature of the Nushagak River, fishing is generally done from 20′ and 22’ boats powered by 90 and 115hp Yamaha 4 stroke motors and 8hp Yamaha kickers.  We limit each guide boat to 4 fishermen to maximize the quality of the experience.  While kings can be caught on the fly, we usually employ a variety of fishing techniques using level wind rods/reels with plugs or spinning rods/reels drifting eggs.   Nushagak River kings average 25-30 lbs, with double digit daily catches the norm.  Chum salmon, and later, silver salmon are often caught while targeting king salmon.  On the Nushagak, each licensed angler is allowed to keep one king over 28″ per day, four kings per season total.